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Stick to massage shops.

If you believe your admission fee entitles you to act that way, knock yourself out. Or better yet, maybe the boy will . 😊

+1 I was there same time and witnessed both events. I echo Jason’s description of grotesque behavior. It not only reflected poorly on the customer, it was offensive to the boys. I had a good view of one boy who was openly groped and his expression could not conceal his embarrassment. The customer pushed his hand into the boy’s briefs as far as it would go. It was emasculating.

From The Nation After four years of arguments and counter-arguments, same-sex couples finally get the right to wed. But why did it take so long? The historic push for Thailand's Equal Marriage Law has succeeded, making it the first ASEAN country to legalise marriage for same-sex couples, and granting them the same rights as opposite-sex spouses. However, the road to the LGBTQ+ community's true celebration during Pride Month has been fraught with challenges, including societal understanding and legislative hurdles. Continues at https://www.nationthailand.com/news/policy/40038967

From The Nation TAT highlights 11 ‘star countries’ as it sets out to rake in 200-billion-baht revenue from long-haul tourists The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) on Wednesday unveiled its tourism promotion policy for the second half of the year, saying it would focus on attracting customers from long-distance markets to help the agency meet the government’s target of 3.5 trillion baht in tourism revenue this year. Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TAT’s deputy governor for Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Americas markets, said that long-distance markets for the rest of this year will be divided into two groups. The stable ones, or “star countries”, are Russia, the UK, the US, Germany and France. Tourists from these countries are already familiar with Thailand and tend to visit the kingdom before the end of the year, he said. TAT is also addressed six high-potential long-distance countries, which it terms “rising stars”, namely Canada, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Denmark and Saudi Arabia. These countries have shown increasing tourism revenues in recent years and are now benefitting from the government’s visa-free policy, said Siripakorn. “These six countries are considered rising stars due to good economic status and the potential to introduce more flights to Thailand,” he added. The deputy governor explained that TAT needs to penetrate potential markets in order to meet the government’s revenue target of 3.5 trillion baht from the tourism industry. This target is 500 billion baht higher than the TAT’s original target of 3 trillion baht. “Through tourism promotion campaigns, we hope to make around 200 billion baht from these 11 star countries in the second half of the year, moving us closer to securing the additional 500 billion baht,” he said. These promotions, to be carried out with airlines and hotels, aim to extend the stay in Thailand among tourists from long-haul countries, thus increasing their spending in the kingdom. For example, Air Canada is now offering a “Long Stay Airfare” programme, which offers discounts on air tickets for travellers who stay longer, while the airline’s boarding pass can be shown at participating hotels and restaurants to get discounts. “We planned these campaigns with partners well before the government announced its policy to lift visa requirements for 93 nations, starting from this month,” said Siripakorn. “As the policy allows tourists to stay here without a visa for up to 60 days, we discussed with partner airlines and hotels to adjust the promotional period accordingly to accommodate even longer stays.”

It seems only fitting that carrier will be using Boeing Max aircraft. From The Thaiger The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced new flight connections at U-Tapao–Rayong–Pattaya International Airport (UTP), courtesy of SCAT Airlinesand AirAsia. This move underscores Thailand’s strategic push to enhance accessibility for international business travellers and tourists. SCAT Airlines is operating a charter service using Boeing 797 Max-9 with 213 seats from Almaty, Kazakhstan via flight number VSV5357 every seven to 10 days from June to March next year. AirAsia’s flight number AK840 operates flights from Kuala Lumpur using Airbus A320 with 189 seats three times a week. The addition of these flights significantly improves access to crucial markets like Kazakhstan and Malaysia, fostering economic growth in Thailand’s tourism and business sectors. Key international markets include India, Vietnam, China, Russia, and Kazakhstan.

Have paid for Grindr in past and did not deem it worth it. Now have basic but only use it to see who’s out there and not to communicate. I find that massage shop listings much better option.

Some old room safe models have a small key slot for management to open in case customer forgot combo or checked out before opening last time. For right price, these generic keys can be obtained. The more modern versions rely on electronic override entry code. But since most of these relics have been replaced by newer versions, I suspect access was gained by means Vinapu describes above.

He’s a gentleman and doesn’t tell tales out of school.

Yes, Da nang, but just for three nights. Will be accompanied. I follow lead of the boys: tips much appreciated. 🙂

For coffee lovers, Tiang and Tang is only steps from Soi Tarntawan on Surawong Rd. I was first introduced to this place by the two guys who ran the much-loved Coffee Grinder. It quickly became a convenient meeting place for fellow members when they were in town. All beverages are freshly brewed and the crowd frequently crowd pleasing. One member—he knows who he is—wasn’t above soliciting LINE contacts to some (I was too shy and regretted it). There’s some tasty pastries available and there additional seating upstairs along with a restroom. Just walk 30 seconds past the 7-Eleven and you’re there. Only drawback is it closes at 6p.m.

From The Thaiger British Airways (BA) resumes flights to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok this year, marking a significant step in its regional expansion strategy. Chairman and CEO Sean Doyle expressed the importance of this strategic return. “For a global carrier like us, expanding our network in Asia as quickly as possible is crucial. With more aircraft joining our fleet in the coming years, we are looking East as well as West in our expansion plans.”

From Thestreet.com It seems that every week, Boeing (BA) sinks deeper into controversy as it undergoes multiple investigations from the U.S. government on its safety and quality control practices following a series of startling incidents involving its planes, which multiple airlines use. This week, a current Boeing employee has just made an unsettling accusation. New Boeing whistleblower Sam Mohawk, a Boeing Quality Assurance investigator, claims that Boeing was “losing hundreds of non-conforming parts” at Boeing’s facility in Renton, Wash., where the 737 Max jet is manufactured, according to a recent complaint filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. He claimed in the complaint that he feared that the faulty parts were being installed on the 737s, and that it could lead to a “catastrophic event.” Boeing’s 737 Max jet production was put under a microscope earlier this year after an Alaska Airlines flight, which was a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, was forced to make an emergency landing after a door plug blew off of the aircraft mid-flight. Mohawk also alleges that in June 2023, shortly after Boeing was notified by the Federal Aviation Administration that its Renton plant would be inspected, 80% of the 60 nonconforming parts that the facility had at the time were hidden from FAA inspectors, and some of those parts ended up being “lost completely.” Mohawk also claims that the facility had an “overwhelming number of nonconforming parts” which led to his superiors instructing him and other workers to “eliminate” the records that revealed that a part was nonconforming.

After encountering two payment failures in attempts to secure visa for Vietnam visit, I figured why not just go to embassy on Wireless Rd. I was informed on arrival, however, that embassies no longer process visas and e-visa is only option. Returned to room and my VN friend offfered to try it on his iPad. Apparently his fingers not fat like mine—and his mind much more adaptable to electronic age—and he managed to do it on first try. So my advice is do it in advance as much as possible and read and reread data before proceeding to next step. And be advised that VN immigration sends you only one email notice containing an application submission number. It does NOT send you email with visa attached. You need to keep logging on to its website to see if it ready to download. Cost about USD 25.

You have a sixth sense about these matters…..and your bed partners are too exhausted anyway.

From Thailand News Agency The Constitutional Court has unanimously ruled that the law allowing spouses to sue for damages due to adultery is unconstitutional. The court found that Section 1523, paragraph two, of the Civil and Commercial Code, which permits a husband to claim compensation from a man involved with his wife and a wife to claim compensation from a woman openly displaying an affair with her husband, contradicts the Constitution. The Ombudsman filed a petition with the Constitutional Court, arguing that the language of this provision was problematic. It allowed a husband to sue the “adulterer” of any gender without considering whether the wife was a willing participant or whether the affair was conducted openly. In contrast, a wife could only sue another woman, and only if the affair was openly displayed. This was seen as discriminatory and against Section 27 of the Constitution, which ensures equal rights for men and women and prohibits gender-based discrimination. Celebrity lawyer Decha Kittiwittayanan stated that starting from the court’s decision, for the next 360 days, legally registered wives will not be able to sue another woman for having an affair with their husband. Similarly, husbands cannot sue another man involved with their wife. The court emphasized that everyone has equal rights and freedoms, and the law must be applied equally. However, divorce lawsuits remain unaffected as they fall under different legal provisions.

Two roads that sound alike and easy to confuse: Pradiphat Road is in Phaya Thai district of Bangkok. Pradipat Road is near Saphan Khwai BTS sky train Station.

From The Thaiger A Canadian tourist’s holiday in Pattaya took a sinister twist after a threesome left him penniless. What seemed like a casual bit of fun with two Ugandan sex workers turned into a costly nightmare. Chon Buri Immigration Police arrested 38 year old Mariam and 28 year old Sheebah at a hotel in the Khao Pratamnak area of South Pattaya. The arrests followed a warrant issued by the Pattaya Provincial Court on charges of jointly committing theft at night. This action was taken after Khalid, a Canadian tourist, lodged a complaint at Bang Lamung Police Station. On June 10, Khalid invited two African women to drink and spend the night with him in his hotel room on Pattaya-Na Kluea Road, agreeing to pay them 2,000 baht each. Exhausted, he fell asleep but awoke to find that around 90,000 baht in Thai and foreign currency, which he had securely placed in the room’s safe, was missing. Despite the women’s steadfast denials, claiming they were only there to give him a relaxing massage, police investigations revealed otherwise. Evidence, including CCTV footage, undeniably linked the women to the crime. ======== Foreign man knocks out transwoman on Walking Street Security camera footage depicting a foreign man punching a Thai transwoman in the face, causing her to lose consciousness on Pattaya Walking Street, went viral yesterday. The CCTV footage, recorded around 3am on June 17, was widely shared by Thai media outlets. It showed a heated argument between the transwoman in a yellow dress and two foreign men wearing white T-shirts. Initially attempting to walk away, the foreigners were followed by the transwoman who continued shouting at them. Suddenly, one of the men punched the transwoman in the face, causing her to lose consciousness and fell backwards onto the ground. Security guards from a nearby bar rushed to help her, while other transwomen, believed to be her friends, chased the two foreigners.

From CNBC A federal investigation is underway into how a Southwest Airlines passenger jet suffered substantial damage after experiencing a rare phenomenon known as a Dutch roll at almost 38,000 feet. Flight N8825Q, a Boeing 737 Max carrying 175 passengers and six crew, was traveling from Phoenix to Oakland on May 25 when its tail began to yaw or wag left and right while the aircraft’s wings rocked side to side. Dutch roll is the name given to this potentially dangerous lateral asymmetric movement, supposedly inspired by the movements of ice skaters. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement Thursday that it was working with Boeing and the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the cause of the fault. Boeing declined to comment. ========= From Aviation Pros The crew of a Southwest Airlines flight from Phoenix to Oakland had to regain control of a Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft after it experienced a rare, midair Dutch roll last month, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, prompting the plane to be taken out of service. But what exactly is the phenomenon? A Dutch roll, named after the movements of traditional ice skaters, is when an airplane sways back and forth both laterally, called "rolling," and directionally, called "yawing," according to Boeing. In other words, the plane's wing tips tilt up and down on either side (the rolling), while its nose and tail wobble left to right (the yawing). The plane's nose makes a figure-eight motion as a result of the out-of-phase oscillations, according to the FAA. The rocking movement can cause airsickness. The oscillations will continue until the movement eventually corrects itself or a pilot corrects it, according to Boeing. Pilots are trained to handle the motion, which can be caused by any "asymmetric input," like wind or an action by the pilot. In the Southwest case, a preliminary inspection by the FAA found damage to a unit that supplies backup power to the rudder, which officials indicated could have led to the May 25, incident, the Associated Press reported.

KK Massage is repeating a midweek promotion of one-hour session for baht 250 today and tomorrow. Ever since One Spa hiked its fee to 450, KK has been seeing an opportunity to become more competitive.

Thanks for calling attention to sequential numbering system. Never noticed that before. Agree about darkness factor. Your number 25 would be a great addition to any bar and he certainly boosts the appeal of the Freshboy lineup. Looking forward to more of your reports.👍

I’m not a Pattaya visitor but have read consistently on the forums about the shrinking expat community there. Part of it is obviously by choice but the government must accept that its unpredictable—and often onerous—policies discourage rather than encourage foreigners to retire to Thailand. I was among those westerners who weighed the option for years. Just when I was giving it greater consideration, the emerging possibility of dual state taxation has pretty much sealed any hopes I was considering. I think I could manage the health care issue but not the taxation one. Even if authorities decided against the idea, I believe future administrations would go on to seek new revenue streams from retirees, introducing more uncertainty. The logical—and economically proven—approach is to gain revenue from the spending of retirees on goods and services. It’s another altogether to try to wring the source dry before it can spend funds on those goods and services.

From The Thaiger Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has taken sick leave after testing positive for Covid-19. The announcement came yesterday evening through his Facebook page, where he revealed experiencing fatigue and a slight fever, which led him to undergo testing. Government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke reported that the Bangkok-born prime minister consulted a doctor last Friday upon noticing the symptoms. The test results confirmed the Covid infection. Medical advice has been given to the prime minister to rest until he is no longer contagious, with additional monitoring planned for the early part of this week. The 62 year old Srettha shared the news on Facebook.

My Airbnb experience is limited to Bangkok. I visit for 30 or more days at a time and it works well for me. A local friend stays with me. In Bkk, 28 days is the legal minimum stay for Airbnb rental. But for my first 15 years I stayed in a wide variety of hotels and that worked well, also, on shorter stays.

Good reminder to rest of us to get boosters.